US20110272309A1 - Twin blade knife package - Google Patents

Abstract

A knife package includes a card having a front side and a back side. The knife package further comprises a utility knife having a body and a plurality of blade holders movable within the body, and a plurality of slides on the body. Each slide is operatively connected with one of the blade holders, and the slides are arranged to move associated blade holders in the body. The knife package further comprises a securement structure that secures the utility knife to the card, wherein said utility knife is secured on the front side of said card by the securement structure such that the plurality of slides of the utility knife are visible when viewing the front side of the card from an angle normal to the front side of the card.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The present invention relates to utility knives and knife packaging.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• A knife package is disclosed. The knife package includes a card having a front side and a back side; a utility knife having a body, a plurality of blade holders movable within the body, and a plurality of slides on the body, each slide operatively connected with one of the blade holders, the slides being arranged to move associated blade holders in the body; and a securement structure that secures the utility knife to the card, wherein said utility knife is secured on the front side of said card by the securement structure such that the plurality of slides are visible when viewing the front side of the card from an angle normal to the front side of the card.
• In another aspect, the knife package includes a card having a front side, a back side, and at least two holes; a knife having a plurality of knife blade openings; and a retaining member having tabs configured to be inserted through said holes in the card and into said knife blade openings to secure said knife along said card.
• These and other aspects of the present invention, as well as the methods of operation and functions of the related elements of structure and the combination of parts and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. In one embodiment of the invention, the structural components illustrated herein may be considered to be drawn to scale. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not a limitation of the invention. In addition, it should be appreciated that structural features shown or described in any one embodiment herein can be used in other embodiments as well. As used in the specification and in the claims, the singular faun of “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a twin blade knife package in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a bottom side of a utility knife in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
• FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views of slides and blade holders in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 4 is a front view of a display card with holes that permit a utility knife to be secured in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 5 is a top view of a retaining member configured to secure a utility knife to a display card in a desired relative orientation for sale in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 6 is a side view of the interior of a utility knife with a retaining member engaged to a blade holder in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the card, retaining member, and a support structure in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 8 a perspective view of a twin blade knife package in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
• FIGS. 9a-9bare front views of a twin blade knife package in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of the support structure, as seen along lines10-10 inFIG. 7, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• FIG. 1 shows aknife package2 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Theknife package2 includes adisplay card4 and autility knife6. Theknife package2 also includes a securement structure that secures the knife to the card in a desired relative orientation for sale. After theknife package2 is purchased by a consumer, the securement structure (as will be described) is cut or otherwise manipulated to releaseknife6 from thecard4.
• The securement structure can take many different forms and combinations thereof. For example, the securement structure may take the form of a retaining member (described below), a clear plastic wrap covering the knife and attached to surrounding portions of thecard4, a blister pack comprising front and back clear plastic portions connected to one another and encapsulating thecard4 andknife6, a plastic wire tie extending through holes in thecard4 and capturing the knife, a twistable metal based wire tie (as also described below), an adhesive, or any combination thereof, just for example.
• Display card4 has afront side8, back side10 (obstructed from view by front side8), atop edge65, aright edge67, aleft edge69, and abottom edge71.Card4 also has anopening44 so thatcard4 may be hung on a rack (not shown). In some embodiments, for example the embodiment shown inFIG. 10, thecard4 may have two layers or portions, and thefront side8 may be defined on afront portion25 of thecard4 and theback side10 may be defined on aback portion27 of thecard4. Alternatively, in some embodiments, thecard4 may only have one layer or portion. In one embodiment, such as the embodiment shown inFIGS. 7-10, theopening44 may be positioned to be offset from the center of thecard4 in the horizontal direction (e.g., theopening44 is closer to theright edge67 than theleft edge69 of the card4). It should be appreciated thatcard4 may be made out of cardboard, plastic, metal or any other material of suitable strength to mountknife6 thereon.
• In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1,knife6 has abody11. Thebody11 has amain portion15 and a bottom portion17 (seeFIG. 2). Referring toFIG. 1, themain portion15 has atop surface12, aright side surfaces14, and aleft side surface16, and thebottom portion17 has a bottom surface18 (shown inFIG. 2). Thetop surface12 is located on atop side13 of thebody11. Themain portion15 may be made of plastic, metal (e.g., aluminum or steel), wood, or other materials. Thebottom portion17 may optionally be made of a suitable molded plastic material and coated with a layer of elastomeric materials, such as rubber. As shown inFIG. 2, thebottom portion17 has aright side21 and aleft side23. Thebottom portion17 is constructed and arranged to connect to themain portion15. Specifically, in one embodiment, theright side21 of thebottom portion17 is connected to theright side surface14 of themain portion15 at a right edge75 (seeFIG. 2). Similarly, theleft side23 of thebottom portion17 is connected to theleft side surface16 of themain portion15 at a left edge73 (seeFIGS. 2 and 9). The left edge73 (seeFIGS. 2 and 9) and the right edge75 (seeFIG. 2) may have similar construction.
• Referring back toFIG. 1,knife6 includes arearward handle portion30 and afront portion32.Front portion32 has forward end with a plurality (in this case two) of knife blade openings34 (shown inFIG. 2). Knife6 has a plurality ofslides20 and22 along thetop surface12.First blade holder36 andsecond blade holder38 may be positioned in thebody11 betweentop surface12,side surfaces14 and16, andbottom surface18.Slides20 and22 are operatively connected withblade holders36 and38, respectively (as shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B).Slide20 operates movement of ablade holder36 andslide22 operates movement of ablade holder38. Sliding movement of theslide20 can moveblade holder36 so that a blade mounted thereon can be moved between a stored position within thebody11 and deployed position wherein a blade protrudes outside of knife blade opening34. Similarly, sliding movement of theslide22 can moveblade holder38 so that a blade thereon can be moved between a stored position within thebody11 and deployed position wherein a blade protrudes outside of the second knife blade opening34. The blades carried by the two blade holders, in one embodiment, have the large planar surfaces of each disposed in parallel to one another when disposed inside theknife body11.
• In one embodiment, theutility knife6 correspond to the knives disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/365,718, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. It should be appreciated, however that the present invention is not at all limited to the knives specifically disclosed therein, and that any multi-blade utility knives can be utilized.
• Theutility knife6 is secured tocard4 such that thetop surface12 is visible when viewing thefront side8 of thecard4 from an angle normal to thefront side8 of thecard4. Thus,slides20 and22 are highly visible to a potential customer, allowing the potential customer to quickly discern thatknife6 has a plurality of slides (at least two) and is configured to retain a plurality of blades and move the blades between a stored position and a deployed position. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1, thetop surface12 faces substantially the same direction asfront side8 ofcard4. In other embodiments, thetop surface12 of theknife6 may be at an angle relative to thefront side8 of thecard4, for example, as shown inFIG. 8.
• FIG. 2 shows thebottom side18 of an embodiment ofknife6. As shown,knife blade openings34 are on thefront portion32. A through-hole52 is in thehandle portion30.
• FIG. 3A showsslide22 operatively connected toblade holder38.Blade holder38 is configured to hold a blade, such asblade39.FIG. 3B showsslide20 operatively connected toblade holder36.Blade holder36 is configured to hold a blade, such asblade37. As shown,blade holders36 and38 each have ablade retaining projection54. Theblade retaining projection54 may be integrally formed as part of theblade holders36 and38.
• FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment ofdisplay card4 configured to have utility knife6 (shown inFIGS. 1 and 2) secured thereto.Card4 has two holes orslots40 and42.Card4 also has a pair ofholes46 and48. Securement structure(s) can be used to secure the utility knife rear end to thecard4 via theholes40 and42 and/or holes46 and48. For example, a securement structure in the form of atie50 can be configured to be threaded through bothholes46 and48 and positioned in surrounding relation to the knife body11 (or through a hole in the knife body), and then twisted or tied to secureknife6 tocard4. It should be appreciated thattie50 may be made from a flexible plastic, flexible metal wire with memory retention, and/or twine material.
• FIG. 5 illustrates asecurement structure60. In the illustrated embodiment, the securement structure takes the form of a retainingmember60 havingtabs62 and64 andcenter portion66.Tabs62 and64 andcenter portion66 form a one-piece unitary structure. Retainingmember60 has creases, or folds70 and72.Tabs62 and64 each have indentations68 to engage theblade holders36 and38 (shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B), normally used for holding blades.Tabs62 and64 each have anend74 that may be folded alongcrease76. When ends74 are folded alongcreases76,tabs62 and64 each form a trapezoidal shape that substantially resembles the shape of a blade to be carried byblade holders36 and/or38. When ends74 are folded back againsttabs62 and64, ends74 may serve to thickentabs62 and64 to better forcibly engageknife6 whentabs62 and64 enter knife blade openings34 (discussed in more detail below). It should be appreciated that in oneembodiment tabs62 and64 may not have ends74. In such an embodiment,tabs62 and64 may be cut-off along creases76. It should be appreciated that retainingmember60 may be made out of cardboard, paper, plastic, metal, or other suitable material of suitable strength and flexibility.
• FIG. 6shows tab62 of retainingmember60 inserted throughknife blade opening34. One ofindentations68 receives ablade retaining projection54 portion ofblade holder38. Similarly, tab64 (shown inFIG. 5) may engage ablade retaining projection54 portion of blade holder36 (shown inFIG. 3B).
• Referring back toFIG. 1, in one embodiment, to mountknife6 oncard4 such thattop surface12 faces substantially the same direction asfront side8, tab62 (shown inFIG. 5) and 64 (shown inFIG. 5) may be folded along creases70 (shown inFIG. 5) and 72 (shown inFIG. 5), respectively, such thattabs62 and64 are substantially perpendicular to center portion66 (shown inFIG. 5). Whentabs62 and64 are substantially perpendicular tocenter portion66, retainingmember60 is in a generally ‘U’ shape configuration.Knife6 may be placed oncard4 such that knife blade openings34 (shown inFIG. 2) face thetop edge65 ofcard4.Tab62 may be inserted through elongated hole40 (shown inFIG. 4) from theback side10.Tab64 may be inserted through elongated hole42 (shown inFIG. 4), also from theback side10 ofcard4. Ends74 (shown inFIG. 5) may be folded back againsttabs62 and64 along creases76 (shown inFIG. 5).Tabs62 and64 may be inserted through blade openings34 (shown inFIG. 2) at the front end of theknife body11 such that indentations68 (shown inFIG. 5) engage blade retaining projections54 (shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B) of theblade holders36 and38. Another securement structure in the than of a tie50 (shown inFIG. 4) may tie thehandle portion30 tocard4. Thehandle portion30 may optionally contain a through hole52 (shown inFIG. 2) thattie50 may be inserted through to secure thehandle portion30 tocard4. While two securement structures are shown in this embodiment, it is contemplated that only one, or more than two may be used.
• FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment ofdisplay card4 configured to have utility knife6 (shown inFIGS. 1,2, and8) secured thereto.Card4 has twoholes40band42b. In the illustrated embodiment, theholes40band42bare similar in shape and size and are longitudinally aligned and spaced less than ¾″ apart. However, the illustrated embodiment is not intended to be limiting, and it is contemplated that theholes40band42bmay be positioned elsewhere and at various distances relative to one another. In the illustrated embodiment,upper edge43 of thehole40bis located closer to thetop edge65 of thecard4 thanupper edge45 of thehole42b. Such positioning of theholes40b,42bmay help retain theknife6 in the position as shown inFIGS. 9a-9b, which will be described in more detail later. Thecard4 may also have asupport structure78 constructed and arranged to support at least a portion of theknife6 when theknife6 is secured to thecard4. In the illustrated embodiment, the support structure is ablister pack78 constructed of clear plastic material. In other embodiments, thesupport structure78 may be made of cardboard, rubber, or other materials that enable thesupport structure78 to support theknife6. Theblister pack78 may have an inclinedportion80 and a protrudingportion82. Agroove84 may be defined between theinclined portion80 and the protrudingportion82.
• The shape of one embodiment of theblister pack78 can be seen inFIG. 10, which is a cross sectional view of theblister pack78, as seen along line10-10 inFIG. 7. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 10, afirst side edge81 is constructed and arranged to extend upwardly from thecard4 to connect to theinclined portion80 atcorner83. Theinclined portion80 is constructed and arranged to extend downwardly from thecorner83 towards thegroove84. As mentioned above, thegroove84 is formed between theinclined portion80 and the protrudingportion82. The protrudingportion82 is constructed and arranged to extend upwardly from thegroove84 towards acorner85. Thesecond side edge87 is constructed and arranged to extend upwardly from thecard4 to connect to the protrudingportion82 at thecorner85. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, thecorner85 is positioned at a greater distance from thetop surface8 of thecard4 than thegroove84, and thecorner83 is positioned at a greater distance from thetop surface8 of thecard4 than thecorner85.
• In the illustrated embodiment, adie cut opening89 is formed on thefront portion25 of thecard4.Edge91 of thefront portion25 of thecard4 may define the shape of the die cutopening89, which may be in the shape of theblister pack78. The die cutopening89 is constructed and arranged to enable an extendingportion73 of theblister pack78 material to extend between thefront portion25 and theback portion27 of thecard4 to be retained therebetween. In one embodiment, the extendingportion73 may be a flat piece of plastic material having a thickness substantially similar to that of thefront portion25 or theback portion27 of thecard4. It is contemplated that the extendingportion73 may extend further between thefront portion25 and theback portion27 than illustrated. For example, the extendingportion73 may be constructed and arranged to extend to edge69 and to edge67. It is contemplated that in some embodiments, a similar die cut opening may also be formed in theback portion27 of thecard4.
• In the illustrated embodiment, thefront portion25 of thecard4 and theback portion27 of thecard4 is a unitary structure (e.g., one piece of material) folded atedge67 to form thefront portion25 and theback portion27. Alternatively, in some embodiments, thefront portion25 of thecard4 and theback portion27 of thecard4 may be separate pieces.
• When theknife6 is attached to thecard4, theknife6 may be positioned such that at least a portion of theknife6 is disposed on the protrudingportion82 of theblister pack78 and at least a portion of theknife6 is disposed on theinclined portion80 of theblister pack78. For example, in the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 8, at least a portion of theright side14 of theknife6 is supported by the inclined portion80 (obstructed from view by the knife6) of theblister pack78 and at least a portion of theright side21 of thebottom surface18 of theknife6 is supported by the protruding portion82 (obstructed from view by the knife6) of theblister pack78. A portion of theknife body11 near the right edge75 (seeFIG. 2) may optionally contact thegroove84 of theblister pack78. This configuration of theblister pack78 described above enables theknife6 to be supported thereon when theknife6 is secured to thecard4, as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9.
• Referring back toFIG. 7,card4 also has a pair ofholes46band48b.Hole46bmay be positioned to the lower left ofhole48b. In one embodiment, securement structure in the form of atie50b(seeFIG. 8) can be configured to be threaded through bothholes46band48band positioned in surrounding relation to the knife body11 (or through a hole in the knife body11), and then twisted or tied to secureknife6 tocard4.Holes46band48bmay be formed by aligning openings provided on thefront portion25 of thecard4 and theback portion27 of the card such that thetie50binserted throughholes46band48bis inserted through both thefront portion25 and theback portion27 of thecard4. It should be appreciated thattie50bmay be similarly constructed astie50 mentioned above and may be made from a flexible plastic, flexible metal wire with memory retention, and/or twine material.
• Thecard4 includes asecurement structure60b. In the illustrated embodiment, the securement structure takes the form of a retainingmember60bhaving tabs62band64band center portion66b(obstructed from view by card4).Tabs62band64band center portion66bform a one-piece unitary structure.Tabs62band64beach form a trapezoidal shape that substantially resembles the shape of a blade to be carried byblade holders36 and/or38. Unlike the previous embodiment of the retainingmember60 shown inFIG. 5, no notches need to be provided on the retainingmember60bof the illustrated embodiment. It is contemplated that in either embodiments of the retainingmember60 or60b, no notches need to be provided thereon. In some embodiments, it is contemplated that the retainingmember60bmay have a similar construction as retainingmember60 described above. The retainingmember60bmay be made out of cardboard, paper, plastic, metal, or other suitable material of suitable strength and flexibility.
• In the illustrated embodiment, thecard4 includes theopening44 that is constructed and arranged to enable thecard4 to be hung on a rack (not shown). In this embodiment, theopening44 may be positioned to be offset from the center of thecard4 in the horizontal direction (e.g., theopening44 is closer to theright edge67 than theleft edge69 of the card4). Theopening44 may be formed by aligning openings provided on thefront portion25 of thecard4 and theback portion27 of the card. As such, when a projection (not shown) of the rack is inserted through theopening44 to hang thecard4, the projection may be inserted through both thefront portion25 and theback portion27 of thecard4.
• FIG. 8 illustrates theknife6 secured to thecard4 having the embodiment shown inFIG. 7. Referring toFIG. 8, thetop surface12 of theknife6 is disposed at an angle relative to thefront side8 of thecard4. Otherwise stated, a plane that bisects theknife6 longitudinally and vertically (e.g., a plane that extends longitudinally between the twoslides20 and22 and also the blades associated therewith) is disposed at an angle with respect to a plane defined by thefront surface8 ofcard4. This angle, in one embodiment, can be a right angle as shown inFIG. 1. However, in the embodiment ofFIGS. 7-10, the angle may be between 30 degrees and 50 degrees. The angle should be greater than 0 degrees (where the plane bisecting theslides20 and22 is parallel to front card surface8). In one embodiment, the angle is between 20 degrees and 90 degrees. It should be appreciated that this discussion is referencing the angle when considering the acute angles between the plane and thecard4. It will be understood by those skilled in the art reading this specification that the obtuse angles can also be considered, but that this is unnecessary from a standpoint of understanding. To mountknife6 oncard4 such thattop surface12 is visible when viewing thefront side8 of thecard4 from an angle normal thereto,tabs62band64b(shown inFIG. 7) may be folded alongcreases70band72b(shown inFIG. 7), respectively, such that the retainingmember60b(shown inFIG. 7) is in a generally  Y shape configuration.Knife6 may be placed oncard4 such that knife blade openings34 (shown inFIG. 2) face thetop edge65 ofcard4. Referring toFIG. 7,tab62bmay be inserted through elongatedhole40bfrom theback side10.Tab64bmay be inserted through elongatedhole42b, also from theback side10 ofcard4.Tabs62band64bmay be inserted through blade openings34 (shown inFIG. 2) at the front end of theknife body11 to engage theknife6. Another securement structure in the form of thetie50bmay tie thehandle portion30 tocard4. Thetie50bmay be inserted through the through-hole52 (seeFIG. 2) to secure thehandle portion30 tocard4. While two securement structures are shown in this embodiment, it is contemplated that only one, or more than two may be used.
• As shown inFIGS. 9a-9b, when viewed from a viewing angle that is normal or perpendicular to thefront surface8 of thecard4, both slides orslide buttons20 and22 are visible. Theholes40b,42bare longitudinally aligned and positioned relative to one another such that the retainingmember60bcan be inserted through theholes40b,42bto retain theknife6 in the position shown inFIGS. 9a-9b. Portions of theknife6 may be supported by the support structure78 (obstructed from view by the knife6).
• As mentioned above, and shown in the embodiment ofFIG. 9a, thefront portion25 of thecard4 and theback portion27 of thecard4 may be a unitary structure (e.g., one piece of material) folded atedge67 to form thefront portion25 and theback portion27. The extendingportion73 of the blister pack (obstructed from view by the front portion25) may extend between thefront portion25 and theback portion27 to retain theblister pack78 on thecard4. Thefront portion25 and theback portion27 of thecard4 may be adhered or secured together, as shown inFIG. 9b, to retain the extendingportion73 of theblister pack78 extending between thefront portion25 and theback portion27. Thefront portion25 and theback portion27 may be adhered or secured together before theknife6 is secured to thecard4 or before theknife6 and thecard4 are hung on a rack for display. In one embodiment, thefront portion25 and theback portion27 of thecard4 may be adhered or secured together using adhesive materials, staples, pins, stitches, or other attaching mechanisms. Thefront portion25 and theback portion27 may also be secured together using thetie50bthat is constructed and arranged to be inserted through both thefront portion25 and theback portion27. Thefront portion25 and theback portion27 of thecard4 may optionally be heat sealed to retain the extendingportion73 of theblister pack78 between thefront portion25 and theback portion27.
• As noted above,utility knife6 may be secured to displaycard4 by other mechanisms as well. In one embodiment, an adhesive may be placed oncard4.Knife6 may be secured tocard4 by placing thebottom surface18 ofknife6 on the adhesive. In another embodiment, a transparent plastic material may be configured to the shape ofknife6 mounted oncard4. The transparent plastic may encaseknife6 andcard4 such that thetop surface12 is facing substantially the same direction asfront side8, making theslides20 and22 visible to a potential customer. The transparent plastic may be affixed tocard4 by a variety of mechanisms. In one embodiment, transparent plastic may be stapled tocard4. In another embodiment, transparent plastic may be affixed tocard4 by an adhesive material, such as glue. In another embodiment, transparent plastic may have an edge configured to be sealed with the edge ofcard4, as is known in the art.
• While in the illustrated embodiment theslides20 and22 are shown on what is termed a “top side”13 of thebody11, it should be appreciated that in alternate embodiments, theslides20,22 may be on the side (left side or right side) of thebody11. Whileslides20,22 are shown immediately adjacent to one another (e.g., less than ¼″ when they are longitudinally aligned with one another, or optionally less then ⅛″), in an alternate embodiment, they may be spaced from one another (e.g., greater than ¼″ or greater than ½″).
• Although the invention has been described in detail for the purpose of illustration based on what is currently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that such detail is solely for that purpose and that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover modifications and equivalent arrangements that are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, it is to be understood that the present invention contemplates that, to the extent possible, one or more features of any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment.

Claims (19)

1. A knife package comprising:

a card having a front side and a back side;

a utility knife having a body, a plurality of blade holders movable within the body, and a plurality of slides on the body, each slide operatively connected with one of the blade holders, the slides being arranged to move associated blade holders in the body; and

a securement structure that secures the utility knife to the card, wherein said utility knife is secured on the front side of said card by the securement structure such that the plurality of slides of the utility knife are visible when viewing the front side of the card from an angle normal to the front side of the card.

2. The package according toclaim 1, wherein said securement structure is a retaining member having tabs configured to be inserted through holes in said card into one or more knife blade openings of said knife.

3. The package according toclaim 1, wherein said securement structure is a tie configured to be threaded through a pair of holes in said card and secure said knife to said card.

4. The package according toclaim 1, wherein said securement structure is a plastic molding configured to encase said card and said knife such that the top surface of said knife is facing substantially the same direction as the front side of said card.

5. The package according toclaim 1, wherein said securement structure is an adhesive material on the front side of said card.

6. The package according toclaim 5, wherein a bottom surface of said knife is placed on the adhesive material to secure said knife on said card.

7. The package according toclaim 1, further comprising a support structure constructed and arranged to support at least a portion of the knife.

8. The package according toclaim 7, wherein the support structure is a blister pack.

9. The package according toclaim 1, wherein the slides are spaced less than ¼″ apart from one another when they are longitudinally aligned.

10. The package according toclaim 1, wherein the knife is secured on the front side of the card such that a plane that bisects the knife longitudinally and vertically is disposed at a right angle with respect to a plane defined by the front side of the card.

11. The package according toclaim 1, wherein the knife is secured on the front side of the card such that a plane that bisects the knife longitudinally and vertically is disposed at an angle between 30° and 50° with respect to a plane defined by the front side of the card.

12. The package according toclaim 1, wherein the knife is secured on the front side of the card such that a plane that bisects the knife longitudinally and vertically is disposed at an angle between 20° and 90° with respect to a plane defined by the front side of the card.

13. A knife package comprising:

a card having a front side, a back side, and at least two holes;

a knife having a plurality of knife blade openings; and

a retaining member having tabs configured to be inserted through said holes in the card and into said knife blade openings to secure said knife along said card.

14. The package according toclaim 13, further comprising a tie configured to be threaded through a pair of holes in said card and secure said knife to said card.

15. The package according toclaim 13, wherein the tabs have one or more indentations configured to engage one or more blade holders of said knife.

16. The package according toclaim 13, wherein the tabs have ends that may be folded to increase thickness of the tabs.

17. The package of according toclaim 13, wherein the tabs have trapezoidal shapes resembling blades.

18. The package according toclaim 13, further comprising a support structure constructed and arranged to support at least a portion of the knife.

19. The package according toclaim 18, wherein the support structure is a blister pack.

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